Here's a Step-by-Step Walkthrough on How to Correctly Change Your Oil

A real engineer takes us through every step of the oil change process.

YouTubeEngineering Explained

By
Brian Silvestro

Nov 28, 2016

Changing the oil in your car is perhaps the most basic maintenance procedure there is. It's a fairly simple process, and usually takes under an hour, but it's easy to mess up. That's why Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained is here to give us a step-by-step walkthrough of how to change your car's oil correctly.

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Before you can even get to your car's engine oil, you need to get the car off the ground. This can be done by jack stands, or a car lift, if you have access to one. Then, get under the car and remove the oil pan drain bolt. And make sure to have a drain tub to catch all of that used oil.

Then, once all the oil's been emptied out, find the engine oil filter, and screw it off the block. It can help to have the drain tub under the filter while you're taking it off, so any extra oil will fall into the pan instead of on your garage floor.

After the filter's been replaced, return the drain bolt to its original position, and use a torque wrench to tighten it to the correct manufacturer specs. Most torque specs can be found in your car's owners manual, or online.

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Once that's been done, it's time to start adding oil to your engine. Watch as Jason takes us through every single step in the oil change process.